Hydraulic walking mud/shaker tank system

ABSTRACT

A walking mud handling system may include a walking mud tank and a plurality of hydraulic walkers coupled to the walking mud tank. Each hydraulic walker may include a walking foot, a hydraulic lift, and a sliding actuator. The hydraulic lift may include a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the walking foot such that extension of the hydraulic cylinder extends the walking foot into contact with the ground. The sliding actuator may include one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled to the walking foot such that extension of the sliding actuator moves the walking foot laterally relative to the hydraulic lift.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional application which claims priorityfrom U.S. provisional application No. 62/241,550, filed Oct. 14, 2015.

TECHNICAL FIELD/FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to oilfield equipment, andspecifically to drilling fluid handling equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

In an oil field, numerous wells may be drilled by a single drilling rig.The drilling rig may be able to be moved from one well to the next byskidding or walking. Connections between the drilling rig and other rigequipment, including, for example, pipe handling equipment, electricitysupplies, and drilling fluid handling equipment may limit the movementof the drilling rig. Drilling fluid handling equipment, referred toherein as mud handling equipment, may include shaker tables, degassers,trip tanks, etc. Because of losses in pumping the drilling fluid fromthe mud handling equipment, the distance between the mud handlingequipment and the drilling rig, coupled by a flow line, is typicallykept as short as possible. Therefore, the mud handling equipment istypically located near the drilling rig and therefore needs to bedragged or moved as the drilling rig is moved. Such an operation mayrequire additional equipment such as a crane or pull truck.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides for a walking mud handling system. Thewalking mud handling system may include a walking mud tank and aplurality of hydraulic walkers coupled to the walking mud tank. Thehydraulic walkers may include a walking foot, a hydraulic lift, and asliding actuator. The hydraulic lift may include a hydraulic cylindercoupled to the walking foot such that extension of the hydrauliccylinder extends the walking foot into contact with the ground. Thesliding actuator may include one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled tothe walking foot such that extension of the sliding actuator moves thewalking foot laterally relative to the hydraulic lift.

The present disclosure also provides for a method. The method mayinclude providing a walking mud handling system. The walking mudhandling system may include a walking mud tank and a plurality ofhydraulic walkers coupled to the walking mud tank. The hydraulic walkersmay include a walking foot, a hydraulic lift, and a sliding actuator.The hydraulic lift may include a hydraulic cylinder coupled to thewalking foot such that extension of the hydraulic cylinder extends thewalking foot into contact with the ground. The sliding actuator mayinclude one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled to the walking foot suchthat extension of the sliding actuator moves the walking foot laterallyrelative to the hydraulic lift. The method may further includepositioning the walking mud handling system at a first position in awellsite. The method may further include extending the hydraulic liftsof the hydraulic walkers. The method may further include lifting thewalking mud tank off the ground. The method may further includeactuating the sliding actuators to move the walking feet from a firstposition to a second position. The method may further include moving thewalking mud handling system in a first direction. The method may furtherinclude retracting the hydraulic lifts. The method may further includeplacing the walking mud tank on the ground. The method may furtherinclude actuating the sliding actuators to return the walking feet tothe first position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is best understood from the following detaileddescription when read with the accompanying figures. It is emphasizedthat, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, variousfeatures are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the variousfeatures may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 depicts an overhead view of a wellsite having a walking mudhandling system consistent with at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 is an overhead schematic view of a walking mud handling systemconsistent with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an end schematic view of a walking mud handling systemconsistent with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4A-4D are side schematic views of a walking mud handling systemconsistent with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a walking mud handling system consistentwith at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a walking mud handling system consistent withat least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the rear of a walking mudhandling system consistent with at least one embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a walking mud handling system consistentwith at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the following disclosure provides manydifferent embodiments, or examples, for implementing different featuresof various embodiments. Specific examples of components and arrangementsare described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, ofcourse, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

FIG. 1 depicts wellsite 10. Wellsite 10 may include one or more wells,shown in FIG. 1 as having two wells 15 a, 15 b. Drilling rig 20 may beused to drill a first well, for example well 15 a. Drilling rig 20 maythen relocate by, for example and without limitation, walking orskidding, to well 15 b. As used herein, “skidding” refers to sliding therig across ground from one well to another. As used herein, “walking”refers to use of a walking system to move the rig from one well toanother.

Walking mud handling system 100 may include hydraulic walkers asdiscussed further herein below that may allow walking mud handlingsystem 100 to move from one position in wellsite 10 to another positionin wellsite 10, such as by walking. For example and without limitation,walking mud handling system 100 may move from a position next todrilling rig 20 at well 15 a to a position next to drilling rig 20 atwell 15 b. Walking mud handling system 100 may be positionable withoutthe use of cranes or pull trucks to move walking mud handling system100. Walking mud handling system 100 may be positioned on any side ofdrilling rig 20 not occupied by other equipment, such as pipe handlingequipment 25, such as, for example and without limitation, the positionsshown in wellsite 10 of walking mud handling systems 100′. Wellsite 10as shown in FIG. 1 may include additional equipment omitted from FIG. 1for the sake of clarity.

As depicted in FIGS. 2-4, walking mud handling system 100 may includewalking mud tank 101. In some embodiments, walking mud tank 101 mayinclude skid 102. Skid 102 may be a support structure or frame for othercomponents of walking mud handling system 100. Walking mud handlingsystem 100 may include hydraulic walkers 103 coupled to walking mud tank101. Hydraulic walkers 103 may be used to reposition walking mudhandling system 100 between different locations in wellsite 10. In someembodiments, walking mud handling system 100 may be moved by a walkingoperation as described herein below. In some embodiments, the walkingoperation may be carried out when one or more tanks of walking mudhandling system 100 are empty, partially full, or full.

Hydraulic walkers 103 may include walking foot 105 and hydraulic liftassembly 107 as depicted in FIG. 4A. Walking foot 105 may be a pad orany other structure configured to support the weight of walking mud tank101 and associated equipment during a walking operation as discussedherein below. Hydraulic lift assembly 107 may include one or morehydraulic cylinders 108 positioned to move hydraulic walker 103 betweena retracted position, as depicted in FIG. 4A, and an extended position,as depicted in FIG. 4B. Hydraulic lift assembly 107 may be mechanicallycoupled to walking mud tank 101 by mounting structure 110. Mountingstructure 110 may include any mechanical fasteners, plates, or otheradapters to couple between hydraulic lift assembly 107 and walking mudtank 101. In some embodiments, mounting structure 110 may be anoutrigger structure. In a walking operation, depicted in FIGS. 4A-4D,hydraulic walkers 103 may be positionable in a retracted position asshown in FIG. 4A. In the retracted position, walking mud tank 101 may bein contact with the ground 30, allowing the weight of walking mudhandling system 100 to be supported by walking mud tank 101. Whenhydraulic walker 103 is in the extended position, as depicted in FIG.4B, walking foot 105 may support walking mud tank 101 above the ground30

Once hydraulic walker 103 is in the extended position, sliding actuator109 may be actuated to move walking foot 105 laterally relative tohydraulic lift assembly 107 from a first position to a second positionas depicted in FIG. 4C. In some embodiments, one or more bearingsurfaces, linear bearings, ball bearings, or roller bearings may bepositioned between walking foot 105 and hydraulic lift assembly 107 asunderstood in the art to, for example and without limitation, bear theweight of walking mud tank 101 and any equipment thereon during awalking operation. Sliding actuator 109 may include one or morehydraulic cylinders or other linear actuators used to move walking foot105 horizontally relative to walking mud tank 101. For example, whenwalking foot 105 is in contact with the ground as depicted in FIG. 4B,the movement of walking foot 105 by sliding actuator 109 may causewalking mud tank 101 to move along ground 30 to a position as shown inFIG. 4C. Hydraulic lift assembly 107 may retract, lifting walking foot105 from ground 30 and allowing walking mud tank 101 to contact theground 30 as depicted in FIG. 4D. Sliding actuator 109 may be reactuatedwith walking foot 105 off ground 30 to cause walking foot 105 to bereturned to its original position, resetting hydraulic walkers 103 tothe first position as depicted in FIG. 4A.

In some embodiments, the walking operation as previously described maybe repeated until walking mud handling system 100 is positioned asdesired.

In some embodiments, at least a portion of hydraulic walker 103 may berotated relative to walking mud tank 101 to the position depicted ashydraulic walker 103′ in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, walking foot 105and sliding actuator 109 may be rotated when walking foot 105 is offground 30. In some such embodiments, walking foot 105 and slidingactuator 109 may be rotatably coupled to hydraulic lift assembly 107 byrotary coupler 114. Rotary coupler 114 may include one or more bearingsurfaces, roller bearings, or ball bearings as understood in the art tosupport the weight of walking mud tank 101 and any additional equipmentduring a walking operation. Walking foot 105 and sliding actuator 109may be manually rotated or may be rotated using a rotary actuator suchas a motor and gearbox. By rotating hydraulic walker 103′, the directionof movement of sliding actuator 109 may be changed, allowing walking mudhandling system 100 to be moved in a different direction. In someembodiments, walking operations in a first direction and walkingoperations in a second direction may be combined to allow thepositioning of walking mud handling system 100 as desired.

In some embodiments, components of hydraulic walkers 103 such ashydraulic cylinders 108 of hydraulic lift assembly 107 and slidingactuators 109 may be powered by an external hydraulic high pressureunit, with hydraulic fluid supplied to the various portions of hydraulicwalkers 103 as previously described through one or more manifolds andvalves.

In some embodiments, walking mud handling system 100 may includeadditional mud handling equipment. For example, as depicted in FIG. 5,walking mud handling system 100 may further include mud process tank 111that may be supported by tank supports 112 and one or more pumps such astransfer pumps 113 and trip tank pumps 115. In some embodiments, mudprocess tank 111 may include one or more partitions including, forexample and without limitation, sand settling compartment 111 a, firstmud process compartment 111 b, second mud process compartment 111 c, andtransfer compartment 111 d. In some embodiments, drilling fluidpositioned within mud process tank 111 may cascade from one compartmentto another to, for example and without limitation, help settle outsolids and help the mud processing equipment. In some embodiments,transfer pumps 113 may, for example and without limitation, be used totransfer drilling fluid from mud process tank 111 to a reserve pit. Insome embodiments, hydraulic walkers 103 may be coupled to an existingmud process tank skid.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 6, walking mud handling system100 may additionally include other mud handling or mud processequipment, such as, for example and without limitation, degasser 117,mud cleaner 119, and shaker tables 121. In some embodiments, equipmentsuch as degasser 117, mud cleaner 119, and shaker tables 121 may be partof an existing mud handling skid 123 positionable atop walking mud tank101. In some embodiments, mud process tank 111 may include trip tank 125and transfer tank 129. In some embodiments, mud cleaner 119 may, forexample and without limitation, include one or more of a desander or adesilter. In some embodiments, mud cleaner may be an integrated unit asdepicted in FIG. 6, or may be made up of separate units such as adesander and desilter. In some embodiments, walking mud handling system100 may include one or more of a centrifuge or vacuum degasser.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 7, cutting slides 131 arecoupled to walking mud tank 101. Cutting slides 131, also referred to asshale slides, may be positioned adjacent to any shaker tables 121 to,for example and without limitation, allow cuttings removed from thedrilling fluid to be moved away from walking mud handling system 100and, for example, deposited in a receptacle such as collector 133. Insome embodiments, cutting slides 131 may be pivotably coupled to walkingmud tank 101 by pivot pin 135. In some embodiments, pivot pin 135 maycouple to one or more pad eyes 137 coupled to walking mud tank 101 bythreading pivot pin 135 through cutting slides 131 and pad eyes 137.Although described as coupled to walking mud tank 101, one havingordinary skill in the art with the benefit of this disclosure willunderstand that pad eyes 137 or any other comparable structure may becoupled to any part of walking mud handling system 100 capable ofsupporting cutting slides 131 including, for example and withoutlimitation, mud process tank 111, mud handling skid 123, or otherstructures. In some embodiments, two or more cutting slides 131 may bemechanically coupled to each other by structural tie 139. Couplingcutting slides 131 may allow, for example and without limitation, forthe coupled cutting slides 131 to be lifted from a retracted positionsuitable for transportation of walking mud handling system 100 to anextended position for use during mud handling operations as a singleunit, reducing the number of lifting operations required. In someembodiments, one or more lifting points 141 may be coupled to structuraltie 139 or shale slides 131 to, for example and without limitation,allow a hoist line (not shown) to be coupled thereto during a liftingoperation.

In some embodiments, hydraulic walkers 103 may be individually actuated.For example and without limitation, one or more hydraulic walkers 103may be actuated to level walking mud handling system 100 and mud processtank 111 in the case of settling on wellsite 10.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 8, walking mud handling system100 may include roof 143. Roof 143 may, for example and withoutlimitation, help protect equipment positioned on walking mud handlingsystem 100 and personnel positioned on walking mud handling system 100from weather, sunlight, or other worksite conditions.

In some embodiments, walking mud handling system 100 may include accessstairs 145. Access stairs 145 may, for example and without limitation,allow access personnel to access mud handling equipment on mud handlingskid 123 positioned atop walking mud tank 101.

In some embodiments, as depicted in FIG. 8, walking mud handling system100 may include one or more drying shaker tables 147. Drying shakertables 147 may be positioned adjacent to any shaker tables 121 to, forexample and without limitation, further remove drilling fluid fromcuttings and other debris before their deposition in collector 133 asdiscussed herein above. In some embodiments, drying shaker tables 147may be mechanically coupled to walking mud tank 101 by one or moresupport beams 149. In some embodiments, support beams 149 may bepivotably coupled to walking mud tank 101 such that they may pivotablyretract during transport operations.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that a personof ordinary skill in the art may better understand the aspects of thepresent disclosure. Such features may be replaced by any one of numerousequivalent alternatives, only some of which are disclosed herein. One ofordinary skill in the art should appreciate that they may readily usethe present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying otherprocesses and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Oneof ordinary skill in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

1. A walking mud handling system comprising: a walking mud tank; and aplurality of hydraulic walkers coupled to the walking mud tank, thehydraulic walkers including: a walking foot; a hydraulic lift assemblyincluding a hydraulic cylinder coupled to the walking foot; and asliding actuator including one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled tothe walking foot.
 2. The walking mud handling system of claim 1, whereinat least a portion of the hydraulic walkers is rotatable relative to thewalking mud tank.
 3. The walking mud handling system of claim 1, furthercomprising at least one additional piece of mud handling equipment; 4.The walking mud handling system of claim 3, wherein the additional pieceof mud handling equipment is one of a mud process tank, trip tank, mudtransfer tank, mud process pump, trip tank pump, degasser, mud cleaner,shaker, or any other mud process equipment.
 5. The walking mud handlingsystem of claim 4, further comprising one or more cutting slides 131mechanically coupled to the walking mud tank positioned adjacent to oneor more corresponding shaker tables.
 6. The walking mud handling systemof claim 5, wherein each cutting slide is pivotably coupled to thewalking mud tank by a pivot pin.
 7. The walking mud handling system ofclaim 6, wherein any cutting slides are mechanically coupled to eachother by a structural tie.
 8. The walking mud handling system of claim1, wherein the walking mud tank comprises a mud process tank skid. 9.The walking mud handling system of claim 1, wherein the walking mud tankis adapted to receive an existing mud handling skid.
 10. The walking mudhandling system of claim 1, wherein the walking mud tank includes askid.
 11. The walking mud handling system of claim 1, further comprisingone or more of bearing surfaces, linear bearings, ball bearings, orroller bearings positioned between the walking foot and the hydrauliclift assembly.
 12. The walking mud handling system of claim 1, whereinthe sliding actuator and walking foot are rotatably coupled to thehydraulic lift assembly by a rotary coupler.
 13. A method comprising:providing a walking mud handling system, the walking mud handling systemincluding: a walking mud tank; and a plurality of hydraulic walkerscoupled to the walking mud tank, the hydraulic walkers including: awalking foot; a hydraulic lift assembly including a hydraulic cylindercoupled to the walking foot such that extension of the hydrauliccylinder extends the walking foot into contact with the ground; and asliding actuator including one or more hydraulic cylinders coupled tothe walking foot such that extension of the sliding actuator moves thewalking foot laterally relative to the hydraulic lift; positioning thewalking mud handling system at a first position in a wellsite; extendingthe hydraulic lifts of the hydraulic walkers; lifting the walking mudtank off the ground; actuating the sliding actuators to move the walkingfeet from a first position to a second position; moving the walking mudhandling system in a first direction; retracting the hydraulic lifts;placing the walking mud tank on the ground; and actuating the slidingactuators to return the walking feet to the first position.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising: rotating the hydraulic walkers;repeating the extending, lifting, actuating, retracting, and reactuatingoperations; and moving the walking mud handling system in a seconddirection.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: repeating theextending, lifting, actuating, retracting, and reactuating operationsuntil the walking mud handling system is at a desired second position inthe wellsite.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: couplingan existing mud handling skid to the walking mud handling system.